Angels in Amherst
by PinkTeaRose
Summary: River goes in search of the Doctor, but instead finds a rip in time and space that even he can't fix.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I will be updating my other stories very soon! Thanks for continued love and support!**

**Title: **_**The Angels in Amherst**_

**Summary: River goes in search of the Doctor, but instead finds a rip in time and space that even he can't fix.**

**Rating: M for later scenes**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the overarching plot. Characters, ect. are the property of BBC, ect.**

**Xxxxxxx**

There are certain points in time that are fixed.

This is a law of the universe, and it is not to be broken- even by those who have the power to alter such events.

Those, of course, being the Timelords.

River Song was no exception to this rule.

She more than most, perhaps, understood the value of history—of things that are written in stone, unchanged, forever.

Her life, being backwards and forwards and incredibly tangled, had no such linear distinctions as that of the archives and papers she now found herself pouring over.

A new point in time was approaching.

November 21st, 2014. Amherst, Massachusetts.

She had signed on to be a guest lecturer at the university there, her topic being Roman Archaeology, and she could use her spare time to investigate the circumstances surrounding this obviously important point in time.

How did she know it was important?

Since she could remember, River always had inclination to look around things she shouldn't. Such tendencies, always in the forefront when she was working, had been in full force when she'd stumbled upon the Doctor's library.

A large room tucked away in the southern (or was it northern?) corridors of the TARDIS, River had found a curious book full of seemingly random dates. Not knowing what they meant, she had grabbed her phone and snapped pictures of the first few pages.

"_Rivah!" The Doctor called. "Come back to—" She spun around, closing the book ever so quietly behind her back._

"_What are you doing snooping around my things? These are very important, very necessary, very- thingy things!"_

_River laughed at her Doctor's disheveled state. He was wearing a black robe that tied loosely around his narrow frame and his hair was unkempt from the night before._

"_Thingy things? Is that a technical term?"_

_He shook his head and moved forward, finger extended to bop his wife gently on the nose._

_Making his way to the desk, his eyes caught the book she'd spotted earlier. _

"_Oh, hello there! I haven't seen you in a long time!" The Doctor cooed._

"_Is it a journal?" River asked, feigning innocence. _

"_Ohhh, not just any journal River! These are fixed points in time! Well, at least the ones I could find. These are the one's I've found regarding… holes… in time in space."_

"_Holes?"_

"_Remember the crack in your mother's wall?"_

"_I do."_

_He flourished his fingers and flipped through the book. Finding the date, he showed the page to River. "See? There's the date for that." _

_Without his glasses, the dates were harder to see, and he moved away underneath a nearby lamp. "And here's the date we met in Manhatt-"_

_He stopped. _

"_River, River I'm sorry, is it still fresh?"_

_She shook her head and moved to hold his hand. "No, my love. It's been seven years for me."_

_The Doctor nodded, understanding. "I was wearing a new bowtie that day."_

"_I know."_

She sighed, missing him. That goofy face. Those bowties. That one god-awful fez.

A face she feared she'd never see again.

That was the trouble with a non-linear life. She kept meeting younger and younger versions of him and each time he knew her less and less—and the knowing glances between them were gradually becoming non-existent.

Selfishly, she hoped that if she kept investigating these fixed points in time, eventually she'd run into him agai.

And not just any version of him—_her _Doctor.

So far her investigations hadn't revealed a lot. Most points were the deaths of prominent individuals, turning points in legislation or some other legal decision, but nothing that would have warranted the visit of a certain Doctor.

This date, however, was proving to be one for her books.

All around Amherst there were disturbances in the time vortex, little pockets of distorted energy that were wreaking havoc on her vortex manipulator and her curls.

She remembered his words, that the dates weren't just fixed points in time, but _holes_ discovered in time.

There was something in the air, something so familiar she could almost taste it, but she couldn't figure out what it was just yet.

Grabbing her bag, she threw in her papers, journals, wallet, identification card, and a small laser gun. You know, just in case.

With one last glance around her tiny flat, she lifted her thermos off the table, switched off the lights, and headed out the door.

As she made her way to the stairs, an elderly woman caught her attention. The woman was sitting on the bench outside the elevator, reading the newspaper for the day. The headline on the front read:

**UNIVERSITY STUDENT MISSING, NO LEADS**_**.**_

She wondered if there was a chance that the student had been signed up for her lecture next week. She started to open the door to the stairway when the woman's voice stopped her.

"You're a teacher, aren't you? At the university?" She motioned toward her thermos. "I recognize the lettering."

River paused and nodded, "I am."

"You know this girl? This Laura Adams?"

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, I don't. I'm not actually from here, I'm just visiting."

"Oh," the older woman said. "I see. Such a promising life. I do hope they find her-"

_Alive_, she insinuated, but did not say. River nodded. "I will see if I can find anything out, and I promise to let you know," she tried to sound reassuring.

"Sure, sure," the older woman said, and made her way back to her door.

River watched her retreat and then headed downstairs. As her feet hit the concrete steps, she wondered if Laura's disappearance had anything to do with the date in the journal.

If it did, Laura would have to have been involved in something far beyond Amherst, Massachusetts. Something large enough to make it to the Doctor's radar.

Once outside, she found a newspaper stand and paid the eight quarters for a copy. Scanning the article, she tried to pick out the pertinent information. _Laura Adams. Senior at Amherst College. Physics major. _

Physics.

If anything would prompt a response from a Timelord, it would be a human messing with the laws of physics.

_But thousands of students do this research every year!_ Her rational side argued. _No reason why this case is special_.

Shrugging off her concerns, she made her way to the bus stop and waiting for the B-Line to arrive. A man shuffled in beside her, smelling of old coffee and cigarettes.

"Done with your paper?" He asked River.

She nodded and handed him the stack. He withdrew the classified section and returned the rest.

"Thank you ma'am."

She nodded, his words cut off by the approaching bus.

Tucking away the paper, she made her way to the line and stepped up into the over-sized vehicle.

River began making her way to the back when suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of blue- that blue she would know anywhere.

And before she knew it, she found herself throwing people out of the way, pushing, forcing her way back out of the bus and into the street.

"DOCTOR!" She cried, ignoring the protests of the people around her.

_Whatareyoudoingwatchwhereyou'resteppingexcuseyou!_

"DOCTOR!"

She heard the unmistakable grinding sound of the TARDIS, her engines revving up to propel its driver where he needed to go.

River dropped her coffee and ran forward, as if she could stop the time-traveling vessel by willpower alone.

But as she approached, the TARDIS faded away and she was left standing there, wondering if she'd actually seen the flash of blue or if her aching heart had wished it there.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So glad you are all enjoying! Here's Ch 2!**

Xxxxx

"Goddamn it!" River yelled, stomping her heel-clad food in protest. "God fucking damn it!"

She turned around and saw her coffee had managed to stay in its container, and the shiny thermos was lazily rolling back towards the curb. She walked over and picked it up.

"Hey lady, you gettin' on?" The bus driver hollered at River.

"Yes sir!" She replied, darting back onto the transit vehicle. "Thank you."

He grunted a reply and she found her way to the nearest available seat.

_So, _she thought to herself, _the Doctor is here, in Amherst. So I'm on the right trail after all._

River couldn't help but feel anxious. If he had in fact come here because of the date in the journal, then that did mean that something was in fact wrong with the time line. There had to be some hole, some disturbance, some whatever that was drawing him here.

Again, she wondered if Laura Adam's disappearance had anything to do with it.

Grabbing her paper from her bag, she scanned the local section. Not knowing what she was looking for exactly, she eyed the titles of various articles to see if anything popped out.

About two minutes into her search, she stumbled on a small two-inch story about a young man who had disappeared five days prior. The man, Donald John Harold, or "DJ" had gone missing after a wild night of partying in a local bar. Police were hesitant to investigate, given DJ's age and the circumstances surrounding his disappearance, but his parents were insisting on a formal investigation.

Finding nothing else, River tucked the paper into her bag and withdrew her journal. Flipping to the nearest blank page, she wrote down:

_Laura Adams_

_Donald John "DJ" Harold_

Two people, both around the same age, and both disappearing around the same time. Sad, but not unheard of in this day and age.

The bus lurched forward and screeched to a halt at the corner adjacent to the university. Luckily, the school was kind enough to lend out a small, unused office space for River while she was preparing her lecture, and she appreciated the easy access to the libraries.

As she made her way through campus, her heels making a steady clicking sound on the cobblestone, she noticed a rather large truck impeding traffic near the art building. From the way it was positioned, it was neither on the street or the sidewalk, but rather a cumbersome in between, and pedestrians and cars alike were having trouble getting around it.

"Bit messy isn't it?" A small voice said.

Anna Lithgard, a forensic anthropology professor, had been one of River's friends in the academia world for nearly ten years. Anna had been the one to help River land a guest lecturer position here, and she had always been a good source of general information regarding teaching and anthropology.

River turned to meet her colleague's blue eyes. "Hi, Anna! Yes it is, quite. D'you know what's going on?"

Part of River ached when she looked at Anna, because she knew this would probably be the last year she'd ever see her. Not by choice, of course, but not aging (and in fact aging in reverse) after ten years becomes slowly but surely noticeable, and River found it easier to drift in and out of people's lives rather than deal with the onslaught of inevitable inquiries regarding her appearance.

Anna lit a cigarette. "Some art professor is doing some sort of project dealing with statues and he had to order a lot of rocks or something like that. You should have seen it last year when he decided that steel rods were his new medium. Blew the entire budget in two weeks."

"Why's he still here?" River asked incredulously.

"Tenure," she replied with a shrug.

"Ah, I see. What kind of rocks?"

"Beg your pardon?" The blonde looked perplexed by the question.

"Like, granite or marble?"

"Hell if I know. I only heard about it through the grapevine."

"Ah."

Anna paused in front of their office building. "You heard about the disappearance?"

"I did. You know her?"

Anna shook her head. "No, but the physics department thinks very highly of her, apparently."

"It's sad."

"Isn't it?"

Anna took a few more drags before stubbing it out.

"Do you know about another disappearance that happened about five days ago? A man named DJ?"

Again the blonde shook her head. "I don't really watch the news very much. Really don't read the paper. I only knew about Laura from the university email."

River nodded and pulled open the door. "I'm sure in your line of work you see enough as it is,"

"I do, yes, and normally I get the nasty ending of it all." As a forensic anthropologist, Anna normally consulted on various cases in the larger area surrounding Amherst. Though not contracted to do so, she had begun working with the coroner's office at the request of the chief medical examiner. Apparently her reputation as a competent professor had followed her, and though her dissertation had focused on forensic anthropology as it applies to archaeological finds, the medical examiner still felt that her expertise was valuable to certain criminal investigations.

"Dr. Lithgard!" A voice called out, and a student with bushy brown hair appeared at her side.

"Dr. Song, catch you later?"

River smiled and waved and continued towards her office. Facing the southern side of campus, the tiny little space did have a beautiful view.

Sighing, she sat down heavily at her desk, placed her thermos in the corner, and began working through her lecture notes.

The Romans. Her mother's favorite. Her father had even been a Roman at one point in time. Oh, how she wished she could give a lesson on the Pandorica—_now __**that**_ _would really be a lecture for the ages! _She mused.

But instead of dwelling, she focused her thoughts to the task at hand and began editing and revising the many pages before her.

Xxxxxxx

When the sun had begun setting in the sky and the blue had given way to orange, River laid down her pencil and slowly rolled her neck. Stiff from the hours of writing, she felt the tension in her shoulders protesting at the sudden movement.

Knowing that she'd worked as long as she could stand, she gathered up her things and shut down her computer. Once her binders and books were in place, she forced her empty thermos into the remaining space and grabbed her keys. With a final glance backwards, she flipped off the lights, closed the door, and locked it for the night.

Even though it was relatively early, the campus was much more quiet than it had been this morning.

A few students meandered here and there, some looking as if they'd been through hell and back, others as if they'd been enlightened by some higher knowledge. That's how it normally was at a university, she mused, those who are drowning either from lack of sleep or alcohol, and those who were practically feeding off of the academic energy pulsing through the ivory halls.

"And then there are those who balance learning with drinking and grow up to be beautiful women. Hello, Dr. Song."

That voice.

That voice she'd know anywhere.

"Hello, Sweetie."

Xxxxxxxx

**A/N: Ok, so a bit of an exposition chapter, but I wanted to get something out to everyone! I think this is going to be a 20ish chapter story… **


	3. Chapter 3

Spinning around, River made sure her face was a stone mask. She would never, ever let him see how much his arrival meant to her. _Ever_.

He hates goodbyes. And she knew hers was quickly approaching.

As she turned to him, she looked him over, head to toe.

Legs crossed.

Deep maroon pants and a jacket to match.

Black vest.

Black bowtie.

Pocket watch.

Glasses.

Slicked back hair.

_Oh. _She thought. _A treat. _

This was her favorite version of the doctor.

He adjusted his bowtie and straightened up. "What brings you here to this lovely American city on this lovely day?"

River arched her eyebrow. "You're wearing glasses."

"That I am, Doctah Song, THAT I AM!" He took them off and handed them to her. "Try them on they are absolutely exquis—"

He froze, unsure of how to continue.

Sensing his hesitation, she stepped forward and put them on her face.

"How do I look?" She threw him an over the shoulder look.

The Doctor was caught off guard. In his moment of forgetting, he'd also forgotten just how _green_ her eyes would have looked under the lenses' magnification. _Oh my god_ _he'd forgotten how bloody beautiful she was with those glasses._

"Good!" River said. "Thought so."

She handed them back and started to walk back towards her office. "It's been thirty years, Sweetie."

The Doctor ran his hand over his head. _Thirty… thirty years wow… wow she looks brilliant for… _

"Don't try to calculate my age, honey, it'll only give you a headache. Come on, we have work to do."

Clearing his throat, he tapped the screwdriver hidden beneath his suit and hurried forward.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Colin Lazzaro had a dream.

And in that dream, he saw those that stand and sing to God.

He saw angels.

So beautiful, so white, they sparkled and shone so much they blinded.

Their delicate hands covered their faces.

The next morning when he awoke, he grabbed his laptop and ordered the purest white marble he could find.

He had found his inspiration.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He liked how she'd decorated the office. He wondered if she picked out new things for each office, or if she carried around treasured pieces and made a duplicate home everywhere she went.

"You remember that journal you have?"

He nodded and extended his hands, "More specific,"

"Of holes in time and space."

He snapped and stood up straighter. "Yes, yes, yes I do! I do I think I have it on me."

His narrow fingers went inside his vest pocket and withdrew a rather large looking encyclopedia. "No that's not it."

Trying again, he went to the other side. "Screwdriver."

Back to the side he started with, "Ah! Got it!"

He pulled out the tattered thing that River remembered, and she gently took it from him. Flipping through the pages, she leaned underneath a light.

"Here." She pointed to a date and handed it to him. He peered down at the numbers. "Oh." He said.

"Oh?"

"Ohhhhh." He started pacing around the room. "Ohhhh that's what I was missing! Oh my god that is so frustrating why, why did I miss that?!" He started at the page and then hit himself in the forehead with the journal. "Stupid stupid I should have seen that! I did see that though that's why I came here but OHHHHH YESSSSS!"

"What? What is it?" River asked. God she hated it when he got in one of these rants.

"Come with me!" She grabbed her bag and switched off the lights and ran after him. "Where are we going?"

"Your apartment!"

"I am not having sex with you right now!"

He stopped and spun around, his face turning red from embarrassment.

"I… I… I was NOT going to suggest that, Rivah," And then as if remembering himself, he straightened up his bowtie.

"But I mean, if you wanted to…"

Pretending to look mad, she gave him a playful slap. "Get it your TARDIS!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The TARDIS landed behind her apartment complex. As she stepped out, she realized that the grass was sort of wet. It must have rained on this side of town earlier.

"Nice place! I like it. Those rocks are so… sturdy!"

River chuckled and reached into her bag for the key.

"I do rather like it here."

The silver key shone in the light as she stepped up to her door. It slid in silently as she twisted her wrist, and the fresh scent of vanilla wafted from inside.

She turned on the lights and placed her bag on the table. River went directly to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of wine.

"So what's your theory?" She asked her husband.

"My theory… my theory is… that… something is happening."

She waited for more, but nothing came.

"And?"

"And that's all I got so far. It's a working theory, a flexible theory."

"I see. Have you noticed the missing people?"

The Doctor took off his glasses and looked very somber. "Yes, I did."

"So you think that's significant do."

"I do yes. Especially since Ms. Adams had discovered some… footage."

"Footage?"

He replaced his glasses.

"Byzantium."

River's eyes grew wide and she nearly dropped her glass. "No! That was destroyed! I was there, YOU were there!"

He nodded. "I know. Apparently we didn't have the only copy."

"But that's from the 51st Century! That tape shouldn't be here at all!"

"I know. But it is. Or was. I can't find it anywhere."

River took another sip. "Ok, so, she looked at the tape and got sent back?"

The Doctor sighed. "It would appear so."

She thought for a moment. "So then the angel is still loose?"

"Probably."

Pause.

"But then why aren't more people missing?"

He shot up from his seat and started pacing. "See that's what I can't figure out either, this," he made large circles with this hands, "area is a buffet… a time feast! It could easily give power to a whole plethora of angels but for some reason they only wanted her. Why, why did it only want her?"

"So she was meant to see the tape. What about the other boy?"

"What other boy?" His eyes lit up.

"There was something in the paper,"

"Show me!"

River moved over to her bag and withdrew her laptop. She pulled up the newspaper's online version and showed him the article.

"Okay. Okay this, this is something."

He stood up.

"Let me see what I can find, and I'll find you tomorrow."

"Do you promise?"

She immediately felt stupid. Why did she say that? Of course he would come back if he said he would… at least, she desperately wanted to believe that. But what was a day to him? What if he ran off and the next time they met up, she'd be going to the Library?

He came forward and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"I promise."

River unconsciously leaned into him, but before she could touch him, she felt herself falling forward.

He had already left.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry for the delay. Senior year of college, hella busy… you get the picture. Updates will come as I get motivation… which is becoming rare… but thanks for sticking with it anyway, peeps. **

**Xxxxxxx**

The Doctor did not, in fact, return the following day.

Or the day after that.

Or the day after that.

River ought not to be surprised. She should be used to this. His absence is as regular as the tides. How often had she woken up alone, spend her days alone, her nights lonelier. She'd lost count.

Her big lecture was three weeks away, and she was finding it harder and harder to concentrate on gathering her material. Sure, she could give an off-the-cuff speech and be fantastic, but _damn it_ _she was_ _trying to be a professional._

Flipping open her computer, she grabbed a journal and began making a chronological timeline for her first slide.

Step One: Establish a frame for the events.

Step Two: Begin at the beginning.

_How arbitrary_, she thought. _Beginning. What is a beginning? What is an end? _

Time was never so straightforward.

A knock at the door broke her from the philosophical digression.

"Got a moment?" Anna asked, her blonde hair a bit sweaty and messy.

"Been to the gym?"

Nodding, the petite professor began methodically wrapping her headphones around her iPod.

"I have to run everyday or else I'd go mad."

"It's bad for your knees."

"Life's bad for your knees."

River submitted. "Touché. So, what can I do for ya?"

Plopping down in an adjacent chair, Anna began massaging her temples.

"It's that fucking art prof."

"Hitting on you?"

Blue eyes widened. "Oh, fuck no, no. I'm talking about the new project."

"Rock boy?"

"The same."

River nodded for her to continue.

"It's granite."

"Cool."

She slammed her hands down. "Not fucking cool! It's LOUD. AS HELL. And the studio is right beside my goddamn office. I can't get any work done!"

River smiled in sympathy. "I'm sorry."

With a dismissive wave, Anna let out a grumble. "Not your fault."

"Anything I could do?"

"You could go piss on all his precious fucking rocks."

The red head laughed. "Oh gods, I would like to get paid for this lecture!"

Shrugging, "Aw, come on, you'd get paid."

Anna stood and stretched her back. "Is that what you're working on now? Your lecture?"

"Mmhmm… Trying to figure out the format of it all. I'm kind of new to power point."

"Topic? What was it?"

"Romans."

The anthropologist laughed. "The dark, handsome, Italian men. Lovely."

Now it was River's turn to groan. "I'm so bad at planning ahead."

"Me too."

The two sat in silence, lost in their own thoughts.

"So, what if we just go look at them?" Anna said in an excited whisper.

"Them?"

"The carvings that nutty prof is doing! Let's check em out!"

River scoffed. "No… No I…"

Anna gave her a fierce look. "Come on. Do it."

With a deep breath, River closed her laptop.

"Alright. Let's go."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Doctor smelled the air.

_Granite, what a distinct smell! What a sharp smelling rock! So much better than those sedimentary rocks he'd dealt with before. _

Turn left. Right. No, no another left. Definitely another left.

_What a fantastic place! All these buildings meant for nothing but learning! How brilliant! How rich! How-_

"RIVAH!"

"Doctor?!"

The blonde looked confused, then threw up her hands. "Anna!"

Spinning on his heel, the Doctor smoothed out his hair and stuck out his hand. "Dr. Lithgard, the pleasure is mine."

River rolled her eyes. _What a flirt._

"What are you doing here?" She asked. "Thought you'd never return."

He looked confused for a moment. "I was only gone for a jiff. A little jiff."

She arched her eyebrow.

"Perhaps, perhaps a medium size jiff. A rather, large, medium sized jiff."

Straightening his bowtie and clearing his throat, he regained his composure.

"Better question, what are you all doing here?"

Anna answered, "To see the creative genius of one of our colleges. Granite, apparently, is his inspiration this time."

The Doctor smiled, and looked to River to confirm. "Granite. How fascinating. Show me!"

With a cheeky grin, the anthropologist pushed forward. "Follow me."

The hallway led to a staircase, and the three descended towards the art studio below.

After a couple of turns, the trio stopped in front of a violet door.

Anna tilted her head towards the door. "This is it." She reached for the handle, but to her dismay, it was bolted shut. "Damn it!"

The Doctor stepped forward with a flourish. "Allow me."

"Show off."

Smiling, the Doctor opened his jacket and withdrew his screwdriver. The sonic sounded, and from within the locks twisted and clicked open.

"How did you do that?"

Anna turned to her friend. "How'd he do that?"

Shrugging, "Haven't the faintest."

With the door no longer a barrier, the three stepped inside.

"Holy shit!" Anna said. "They're fucking huge. I'd thought they'd be like, garden ornaments. Those are like, goin' on seven feet!"

Fear crept into River's chest. "Doctor."

"I know, I see it, I know, I'm thinking, I'm thinking."

The archeologist took a baby step backwards. "We should leave." Grabbing Anna's hand, she moved towards the door.

"Doctor, we need to go!"

Anna looked confused. "What? Why?" She turned and looked at her colleague.

"What's the matter?!"

Green eyes stayed affixed to the statue in front of her.

The lower portion of the statue looked complete, but the wings were still roughly outlined. The head would eventually be bowed forward.

"I don't think it's dangerous yet," The doctor breathed. "But,"

"Just in case,"

They both whispered, "Don't blink."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for the lack of updates, but here ya go. If you're reading this, please please comment and let me know so I can decide whether or not to keep writing!**

**Best**

**PTR**

Xxxxxxxxxx

River kept her eyes trained to the figure in front of her. Although her colleague didn't understand the danger they were in, Anna kept her hand firmly in River's.

Reaching behind, the Doctor grasped the handle. "GO!"

The two women turned and bolted.

Crossing the threshold, River reached out and grabbed her husband.

Three pairs of feet echoed throughout the hallway. The labyrinth of beige concrete seemed to amplify the sound, and the lights flashed angrily as they tore through the corridor.

"There's the exit!" Anna exclaimed. With her free hand, she hit the metal bar, and the trio stumbled out onto the lawn.

A few stray students looked at them with humor and curiosity before continuing on their way.

The Doctor leaned against a tree and tried to catch his breath. River's hands went to her hips.

"Aw Rivah, why are you cross?"

She laughed wildly.

"Why am I… Why am I cross?! How did we miss this?!"

He straightened his vest. "I… We… didn't MISS miss it, per se… we were… close… we were in the neighborhood…"

Anna looked confused as ever.

"We walked into a fucking lair!"

"Lair's a bit excessive,"

"Who's lair?" The blonde asked.

The couple turned towards her, as if they'd forgotten she was privy to the crisis at hand.

The Doctor started to explain, but River cut him off.

"Not here,"

"Office?"

River turned toward her colleague. Nodding, she gave once last glance towards the art building.

"Yes, my office. We'll explain there."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So an image of an Angel becomes an Angel itself?" The anthropologist seemed to be following. The Doctor nodded approvingly- River had good taste in friends.

"Exactly."

"But there were no images before…"

"Before these statues, yes."

"And so you have no idea how he came up with the concept?"

The Doctor ran his fingers through his hair. "I just don't see how he could have… I mean… How could… Who could… What could…"

River shook her head. "It doesn't make sense. I had no idea that anyone else knew about them, at least, not in this time and place."

"And had he seen them in person-"

"He would have been zapped back," The blonde finished.

The Doctor pointed at her. "YES! Fast learner, this one!"

"Thank you!" she smiled proudly.

River paced the room. "What about a journal? A log?"

He shook his head. "None accessible to humans."

"As opposed to?" The professor went back to looking confused.

The Timelords exchanged a glance. "Other… species… It's complicated…"

Anna looked dubious.

River interjected, "Just believe us, don't try and think on it too hard. I'll explain it eventually."

The Doctor started clapping. "Oh, let's show her! Let's!"

The archaeologist paused. Did she want to include Anna in this secret realm of hers? It would either solidify their friendship or completely dissolve it. Would it jeopardize her standing at the university? Could she really trust her?

As if she was reading her mind, Anna cried, "I'm good at secrets, I swear!"

With a sigh, River acquiesced. "All right, but just to warn you, it's…"

Xxxxxxxxxxx

"...Bigger on the inside!"

The blonde kept spinning in circles, as if rotating could allow her to comprehend the TARDIS around her. Then, almost in a panic, she ran back to the door. The Doctor could almost picture her circling around the blue box, assessing the outward dimensions in comparison to the interior.

"And it travels in time?"

"And space."

"So time is arbitrary?"

"More or less. Things happen in a certain order, in a certain way, but…"

"But their geological timeline, as we see it on Earth, doesn't apply to the entirety of Time and Space." River concluded.

"So it's like a big ball of yarn?"

The Doctor smiled. "Oh, that's a good simile! I like that!"

"So if all of Time is interconnected, then the Angel's presence on Earth would mean,"

"That they could appear elsewhere, yes."

"And where were they before? Were they alive and thriving?"

"Complicated," the Doctor began. "Some are biologically locked, either from looking in a mirror or at themselves. Some are nearly dead after starving for years and years, and others are… not yet created."

"Can Angels feed on other animals?"

Again, the Doctor searched for the right words. "Animal is a tricky concept. You humans seem to think there's a clear distinction between human and nonhuman nature, but in fact the criterion for both categories is highly influenced by the ideology of the day!"

River rolled her eyes. "Philosophy aside, Doctor, yes, Angels can feed on other life forms. But only on those whose life and timeline is inherently altered by being sent back in time. For creatures or animals lacking a sentient consciousness, their existence can exists at many points in time. For example, the squirrels on campus, they can live five years ago or ten years from now and largely remain the same. But if you were to disappear back in time, imagine the cases you would have never solved, the technology you would have never improved… This, this is the energy, the potential energy, that the Angels thrive on."

The blonde nodded, taking in all the information. Then, with blue eyes wide, she voiced the question on all of their minds.

"So, where does this leave us?"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Later that evening, the Doctor sat awkwardly in River's kitchen. His hands felt clumsy against the wine glass. His fingers were too long, the glass was too clear, or not clear enough. And the wine- _ugh god how does anyone ever drink this?!_

His wife didn't seem much better off either. She kept pacing about, cleaning spots that weren't there, twisting her finger around a stray hair, making the mass of curls more unruly by the minute.

As much as he tried to ignore it, she was doing delicious things to him.

"Rivah."

Silence.

Hair twirl.

"Rivah could you sit down? Please?"

Green eyes snapped up.

"Aren't I sitting?"

She looked down at her legs, and was mildly surprised to find them supporting her weight.

"Oh," she giggled. "I hadn't realized. They take off without me."

But she didn't sit beside her husband. Instead, River turned to face the sink, grabbed the wine, and refilled her glass.

She kept telling herself to _stop being mad_ and _stop acting like a child!_

He was her husband, but he _wasn't_ her husband. He was everyone's, whether they knew it or not. They, the abstract _they_ would always come before _her_. No singular person could hold him the way _they_ do.

Hands traced up the side of her legs. "Rivah, please, talk to me."

Shying away, "There's nothing to tell."

The Doctor hung his head. "I'm not going to force you-"

"As if you could!" She tried to sound flirtatious, but her tone missed its mark.

Minutes passed.

River tucked away a curl.

The Doctor checked his watch.

Folded his arms.

Crossed his legs.

Finally, he rasped out, "I know I'm late."

The wine was bitter on River's throat, the deep flavors of the merlot warming everything except her heart.

"Rivah, please."

Teary, emerald eyes forced their way to his. Her lips trembled; her hands shook. With a feather-light touch, she ran her fingers over his jacket, tracing the delicate lining as one might braille, wishing it'd give her the answers she so desperately sought.

"I…" she began.

But before another word escaped, a shrill alarm pierced the air.

"Sorry! Sorry! New… thingy, this thingy Clara's got me…"

From deep within he withdrew a rectangular, white phone. It was a slightly newer model than River's own mobile.

The Doctor grabbed River's face and kissed her nose. "I promise, I'll be-"

"Right back," she finished, turning away from his conflicted face.

Crossing her arms, she exhaled, and tried to fake a smile. She could at least give him a nice farewell. He had bought her wine, after all.

"See you-"

But she fell silent, for her kitchen was empty once again.

xxxxxxxx


End file.
